Martinsburg daily gazette. [volume] (Martinsburg, W. Va.) 1887-1887, 1887-05-23
THE WELSH RAREBIT.
a FASHION or APPETITE THAT
THRIvES AGAINST OPPOSITION.

THHIVES AGAINST OPPOSITION.
The Eaters Go On Needless Of the Fright
full Forebodings or Anxious Friends
s The Cooks lIsthods-Not So Hard to
Digest.
The curious thing about all these late
diners up town is that You can nearly
always tell what they are going to eat be-
fore they order it. In Sixth avenue the
main restaurant is famous for its deviled
crabs and that's what those who 60 there
will be apt to order. In the other places
the chances are mainly in favor of Welsh
rarebits. If not rabbit" or a sscrab,"
beefsteak is the rule, but the rabbit Is in
most demand. Welsh. rarebit is what the
men eat aboard the. ocean steamships
after the ladies have gone to bed and the
night Is well spent 1t Is the commodity
most called for late at night at the clubs.
Just so at stag card parties all over town,
the host whose kitchen can turn ont the
incest rarebit late Mt night r. apt to be
praised the most in his own circle
1t Is no new craze, this taste for the
Welsh rarebit; it has been q fashion OF ap-
petite for years, and may be regarded as
a fixed one. It thrives against the most
violent opposition Half the men and all
the women who don't eat rarebft look ON
with more or less alarm in their faces, and
either advise the rarebit eater not to I'M
dulge his passion or exclaim, almost al
ways III the same words, AID die II
should eat thatr' But the caters 90 on,
needless Of the frightfHl forobodincs Of
those who don't eat their favorite dish,
putting down the unprep0ssesSinH food
night after night with accompanying Ii
bations OF Bass ale, sherry, lager, cham
payne or those mixed mucilaginous and
syrupy blendings called cocktails. They
neither fall dead nor are carried home in
agony, althoughit II safe to say that they
half expect some disagreement between
themselves and their food each time they
eat rarebit.
THE COOKS METHODS.
Welsh rarebits arc differently made by
different cooks. but the best results are
obtained in this way: Take old dry cheese
OF any sort that has tang.to it, crate it
thoroughly, pepper and salt It very well,
put In q big lump Of butter, and add Just
q little fresh mustard Stir this MP and,
put it on very hot frying pan, having d
hot fire ready. At this point cooks differ.
Some pour in a little boiling water, but
the majority use little old nile instead,
the object in both cases being to facilitate
the melting Of the cheese SO that it will
run together. The cheese in the pan must
be kept over the fire until it is thoroughly
liquid, when it must be poured over
buttered toast. It should he served OH u
very hot plate and eaten mt once Even
then the last of it will get slightly tough
and rubbery.
DR.. A. II. Wilson was talking of this
the other night. He knows as many of
the gourmets and good fellows generally
as any physician I'm town, and lie says lie
has heard score remark how wonder |
full 1t Is that the Welsh rarebits they eat
don't kill them, or even hurt them ut all
And yet, he says, II never had pa
tient with whom they disagreed. never
yet have had to caution one not to eat
rarebits, and, on the other hand, have
once In my practice prescribed the eating
II very interesting dish. It seems from
its appearance and condition and texture I
as though 1t must be very unwholesome, |
and yet cannot say that it Is i have
even known 1t to be eaten and completely |
digested in that stringy condition in which
II gets when cooling, and I'm which IL Is !
Ike mass Of flannel, or perhaps soft |
glue would be better comparison. In
our practice we have a way OF discovering T
how certain dishes act after they are
eaten. You would suppose man would
carry Welsh rarebit around with him
undigested several days, yet have known
Of one being eaten at II at night and not
, trace being left in the stomach next
It takes a good digestion to do
this, but apparently no extraordinary di-
gestive power Is required Most anybody
can do it, as the magcians say when
they exhibit an especially difficult trick